


According to You

by fuwafuwamarii



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Anal Sex, Apologies, Arguing, Awkward Conversations, Blow Jobs, Bottom Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood), Choking, Couch Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cum Swallowing, Deepthroating, Drinking, Drunk Blow Jobs, Dubious Consent, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Jack Frost Needs a Hug (Guardians of Childhood), Jealousy, M/M, Making Out, Making Up, Post-Rise of the Guardians (2012), Romance, Top E. Aster Bunnymund, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:01:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27793489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuwafuwamarii/pseuds/fuwafuwamarii
Summary: What had Bunny so bent, however, wasn’t the loud fluttering of Tooth’s wings in his overpowered ears, it wasn’t Sandy’s hard-to-decipher conversations, it wasn’t even North’s boisterous voice bouncing off the workshop’s walls every time he cackled cheerfully.No, what was currently making the Easter Bunny want to pull at his own fur was the little winter spirit quietly sitting across from him on the large table.It was Un-fucking-believable.Last month, it came to the guardian’s knowledge that Jack Frost was dating the Groundhog.The FUCKING Groundhog.The one in which Jack is dating the Groundhog and Bunny realizes a few things about himself.
Relationships: E. Aster Bunnymund/Jack Frost, The Groundhog/Jack Frost (but not really)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 275





	According to You

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've ever written anything for JackRabbit even though it's one of my oldest and most favorite ships ever. I had a good time playing around with their personalities and trying not to make them too OOC but still fanfic appropriate. 
> 
> If you don't like this ship and/or this type of content please refrain from reading and upsetting yourself.  
> Those of you who do like it, enjoy! and thank you for reading!
> 
> ~This work was made for my friend Migo <3 Thank you for everything and I hope you like your super late birthday present~

Bunnymund’s headache was worse than usual today.

He rubbed at his temples with a groan, trying to ease it down as much as possible but to no avail.

If it wasn’t for North’s insistence that they needed to have these monthly meetings to update on each other’s work then he would’ve definitely stayed in the comfort of his warren.

Alas, he knew that if he did, the guy would just come get him.

What had him so bent, however, wasn’t the loud fluttering of Tooth’s wings in his overpowered ears, it wasn’t Sandy’s hard-to-decipher conversations, it wasn’t even North’s boisterous voice bouncing off the workshop’s walls every time he cackled cheerfully.

No, what was currently making the Easter Bunny want to pull at his own fur was the little winter spirit quietly sitting across from him on the large table.

It was Un-fucking-believable.

Last month, it came to the guardian’s knowledge that _Jack Frost_ was dating the _Groundhog._

The FUCKING Groundhog.

  


It had been a meeting like any other; Jack and Bunny were bantering like they usually did while North and Sandy ate away at a plate of the Yetis’ glorious cookies, Tooth giggling at their shenanigans.

“There’s no need to be ashamed Roo. I mean, it would be totally okay and completely normal if you happened to have a few fleas, ya know?” Jack teased, resting his chin on his palm and offering Bunny the most disarming but shit-eating grin he could muster.

“For the _last time_ iceblock, I ain’t got no fleas on me alright?! Knock it off already!” Bunny said, slamming a fist on the wooden table and decidedly ignoring a coquettish bat of Jack’s lashes.

“You sure? Want me to check for you?” Jack laughed, reaching over across to try and run a hand through fur but being stopped by a paw grabbing his wrist. “Don’t ya dare! Knock it off!” Bunny flared, making Jack laugh even louder.

The professionalism returned a few minutes later as Tooth informed the others on her duties. Wings fluttered happily as she spoke about the ever-improving state of her fairies and the smooth flow of tasks at the Tooth Palace.

“Ever since Pitch’s attack my magic has been growing stronger with each passing year, and my girls are as resilient as ever!” Tooth beamed, bringing a lithe finger to her right shoulder to gently pet the feathered head of her most loyal fairy. “I still can’t believe how brave Baby Tooth was; she wouldn’t leave Jack’s side for anything. I think she likes you more than me, Jack.” Tooth joked, and as if to prove a point, Baby Tooth flew across the table to lay a tiny kiss on Jack’s cheek and nuzzled under his chin, making her mother shoot an incredulous look at her.

“Clingy lil sheila isn’t she?” Bunny said, shaking his head in amusement at how the little hummingbird-like fairy was brimming with adoration at the winter spirit. 

Bunny couldn’t blame her, really.

Aster watched in intrigue as Baby Tooth puffed her tiny feathers to make herself look more appealing, earning a chuckle and an innocent kiss on the forehead from the Guardian of Joy.

It was interesting, to say the least, how even a little pixie like her could recognize the potential of having someone like Jack as a mate. Putting some though on it, Aster couldn’t help but think about all the other spirits that could potentially court Jack the same way Baby Tooth was doing.

He was a beauty, Aster could admit that much, and his urging instincts wouldn’t have the courtesy of shutting up about it for the past decades; especially now, that they were as close as they’ve ever been.

But Baby Tooth was one thing; just a little puppy-love crush that he didn’t have to worry about.

Aster frowned then, mind letting go of rationality for a moment as he thought about someone else coming along, someone who would actually represent a threat, and _really_ court Jack. How would he feel then? What would he even do? It wasn’t as if he had taken a conscious effort of courting his fellow guardian or anything anyways, but instincts often won over reason in a close battle for power in his brain.

 _ACT NOW! DO SOMETHING!_ The irrational side of him shouted every time he even as much as interacted with Jack and it was the most inconvenient thing Bunny had ever experienced. Before, when he lived in a world of only Pooka, he could act on said instincts and it would be acceptable. Now, not so much, especially not with Jack.

Because he had no idea how to act with someone like him, who was the complete opposite of himself in every sense of the word.

“She’s not clingy, she’s MY favorite. Isn’t that right, Baby Tooth?” Jack winked at her, making her chirp and swoon, flying up into the air to then dip down as if she was about to faint from the gesture.

The sweet moment was cut short, however, when the loud, heavy doors of the room abruptly opened, all heads turning to the source of the sound.

Upon seeing who their unannounced guest was, Jack jumped out of his seat and stood straighter than Bunny had ever seen him do, gripping his staff tightly close to his chest.

Sensing his sudden distress, Baby Tooth quickly retook her spot on his shoulder, trying to get a good look at Jack’s worried features.

“Hog?! W-what are you doing here?” 

“Ah bonjour, I didn’t mean to interrupt your very important gathering.” Hog said, purposefully ignoring Jack and directing his attention to _The Big Four._ He tipped an invisible hat at North and Bunny couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

_What a bootlicker_. _What was this guy doing here anyway?_

“The yetis let me through no problem and told me Jack would be here.” Hog clarified, brushing snow off his fur “this damn thing gets everywhere eh?”

“Can we help ya mate? We’re kinda in the middle of something here in case ya haven’t noticed.” Bunny quipped, having enough of the guy’s casual attitude.

Leave it to the Groundhog to come into a Guardian meeting and act as if it was nothing. Being a close attendant of Mother Nature like he was can do things to a spirit’s ego, and he was living proof of that. Keeping kids safe and happy wasn’t very high on his list of priorities, so the prestige that the Guardians usually inspired on others wouldn’t really get to someone like him.

“Bunny!” Tooth hissed at him as quietly as she could, elbowing him on his side.

Trying to keep things amicable with Bunny around wasn’t easy at times, especially when he didn’t like someone, and he _really_ disliked the Groundhog.

His role as messenger of Mother Nature was no small fit, he’d give him that much. In the old times, when humans had no such a thing as meteorologists and weather anchor’s, they had the Groundhog, also known as Punxsutawney Phil. He would come out of his hibernation and signal the humans if they should prepare for six more long weeks of winter or remain calm, for the Spring would come early, and the sun would shine again soon on their brittle little villages. The humans thought of him as a soothsayer, but in reality, he was only acting as a herald by order of Mother Nature herself.

Times change however, and with them, his role in nature lessened as the humans didn’t seem to need him as much, being reduced to simply being a symbol of forthcomings. His head remained just as full of air though.

He would often use his position to mess with the chances of the weather just to inconvenience the human world as much as possible.

Spring would often suffer because of it, since it was the station he had the most influence on. Obviously, that didn’t sit right with Bunny. Being late on his Easter hunts more than once because of him was reason enough to give him the evil eye.

Plus, the guy was a total jerk.

Hog turned to the voice addressing him and soured significantly when he realized it was the Easter Bunny.

“Aster.” He greeted dryly and Bunny couldn’t help but snarl at him.

“Anyways, I’m here to get Jackie. Little snowbird didn’t tell me he was gonna be in a meeting today. Been looking everywhere for him.” Hog locked eyes with Jack, his reddish browns burning holes into Jack’s cold blues, making him shrink in on himself. “And since he’s a _guardian_ and all” Hog spat with fake awe, spreading his open hands in front of him as if to emphasize the grandeur of the word “I figured he might be here.”

 _Tsk, Jackie? What the hell?_ Aster thought as he looked at the two.

“Sorry Hog I-I forgot.” Sputtered Jack, slowly approaching him and then looking back at the others.

“Is it okay if I leave early? Just this one time?” He asked his teammates, an unsure aura taking over him which made things even weirder. It wasn’t like him to make himself smaller and talk with such a careful voice. It unnerved Aster to see Jack so shaky.

The four guardians shared confused looks between themselves until North spoke up.

“Sure, sure Jack go ahead! We are almost done with meeting anyways.” North waved a large hand at the pair, giving them permission to take their leave. A rough paw then wrapped around one of Jack’s thin arms, pulling him closer in a quick yank edging on too hard.

“Alright then! Come on love, let’s get on outta here.” Hog said, finally addressing his…lover?

Aster couldn’t believe his eyes; he couldn’t believe his ears either. He was _praying_ to MiM that he had somehow gotten himself knocked out with Sandy’s dreamsand and this was only Pitch’s twisted version of a nightmare to torment him from the depths of his dark lair.

His shocked spell was broken when he heard a gasp coming from Jack and a high pitched hiss of some sort. Bunny felt a pang of satisfaction when he saw Baby Tooth angrily stabbing at the paw wrapped around Jack’s arm with her sharp beak.

“Baby Tooth! Stop! I-it’s okay, Hog’s my-“Jack caught himself, suddenly feeling ashamed of even saying those words. He looked back at his friends for a moment but mostly at Aster, their wide eyes looking into each other’s in a silent exchange of questions and answers that maybe were only part of Jack’s wishful imagination. If anything, Bunny looked disgusted, nothing more. 

He couldn’t blame him, but what he chose to do with his time was his business and his business only.

A series of high pitched cries brought them back to the real world as Baby Tooth flung her tiny fists forward, trying in vain to swing at the spirit grabbing her by the wings.

“Hey, keep your bugs out of my business will you?” Hog said to Tooth, letting go of Baby Tooth with a light swipe of his wrist, hurling her forward into the air and making her spin until she could regain control of her wings. The small pixie then rushed to her mother’s side once more, perching on her shoulder to flutter her wings in an attempt to fold them back into place while chirping profanities at the unpleasant guest.

Tooth winced at the vulgar words only she could understand and rushed to cup her hands around her fairy to restrain her fury. “Oh forgive her Punxsutawney, she’s just not very fond of strangers.” Tooth laughed nervously, trying to excuse her baby’s behavior.

No matter how obnoxious Punxsutawney was, Queen Toothiana was a diplomat, and allowing one of her fairies to attack a personal attendant of Mother Nature wasn’t really in her definition of diplomacy.

“Tsk, fairies.” Hog mumbled and turned back to take his leave, pulling Jack along with him as he did; leaving four, very confused guardians to ask amongst themselves just what the fuck was that all about.

____________

Okay, so Jack hadn’t said anything _too_ explicit about what kind of relationship he had with the Groundhog, but it was pretty obvious by now.

Bunny had avoided the winter spirit for the rest of the month, if he didn’t have to see Jack until the next meeting then he wouldn’t; besides, he really needed to assess his thoughts and decide how he felt exactly about the whole thing. 

After much wallowing, he finally decided that he couldn’t care less about who Jack dated; really, it was none of his business

But…Jack was his friend; and despite their constant arguing, the two had grown closer than ever after Pitch’s defeat a decade ago. Bunny couldn’t help but feel… _worried…_ that Jack was dating someone like the Groundhog.

It just wasn’t right.

“You okay Bunny?” A voice brought him out of his simmering; just now realizing that he had been staring.

“Uh, yeah mate, s’all good.” Replied Bunny, as casually as he could, crossing his arms to feel less vulnerable with Jack’s eyes on him. “How ‘bout you? Doin’ okay?” he shot back in an effort to shift the attention away from himself.

Jack eyed Bunny’s posture suspiciously. _He looked so tense_.

It wasn’t unusual of Bunny to be on edge at times, what with all his stressing out and his constant work, but this energy felt almost uncomfortable.

Which was weird, because according to Jack, they were friends now; and although he had wished they’d been _more_ than just friends he had decided a long time ago that being just pals with the Easter Bunny was the best thing to do, for his sake.

He couldn’t bear the thought of Bunny pushing him away once he knew of his feelings, even more so now when they were in such good terms with each other.

They had grown close, which was one of Jack’s self-proclaimed achievements. He really had liked Bunny from the very moment they met.

____________

  


It was 1768 and Jack’s snowstorm had half of the continent trapped inside their homes. It had been a complete accident, really.

He had been determined to experiment with the offensive side of his powers and things got a little out of control.

That had been the last time he had let his magic out all at once (although the trick had proven useful when going against Pitch and his wave of nightmare sand) Jack had no idea that Easter was that very same day and who would’ve guessed, that that incident was how Jack would be formally introduced to the Easter Bunny.

“Oi! Ya bloody bludger! Just what do ya think yer doing?!” Jack looked down at the furious voice from his comfortable spot at one of his favorite pine trees and his eyes lit up.

“Hey I know you! You’re the Easter Bunny aren’t you? I mean with those ears you’ve gotta be…I’m a big fan!” Jack waved down cheerfully, giving Bunny the cutest smile he had ever seen.

But no matter how cute this winter pest was he had to let him know the mess he’d just made.

“Do ya have any idea what you’ve done ya drongo?!” Jack gave Bunny a clueless expression that made him want to leap all the way up that tree and-

Bunny sighed, trying his best to keep his composure “In case ya haven’t noticed, _mate_ , it’s Easter Sunday today! And YOU have half the continent buried in your bloody snow!” Bunny took an egg out of his bandoleer to help his argument “What ankle-biter is gonna be out here looking for googies in this blizzard?!” He finished, expecting an immediate apology or for the other to offer a stop to the roaring storm.

But “You talk funny has anyone ever told you that?” Was all Jack could say and Aster saw red.

It wasn’t that Jack didn’t care, but in his defense, he had been a forgetful, wandering, hasty no-one back then and being yelled at by the other spirits, whom which had been paying him little to no attention for decades, didn’t sit well with him.

Besides, he had to admit that Bunny looking for him just to talk to him (or more like _yell_ at him but whatever) had him very excited at the time. Being alone for so long can do things to your sense of social interactions.

Bunny breathed out through his nose, puffs of condensated air coming out of his nostrils which made him look like an angry bull “Ya have 5 seconds to fly yer arse as far away as possible from me before you really get it.”

Ooh and Jack fell right _then_. He bit his lip excitedly and did as he was told; expecting, praying, HOPING that the Easter Bunny would run after him and Jack couldn’t stop himself from squealing when he did.

When he let himself get caught he was actually surprised at the lack of _violence._

Bunny had pinned him down by the wrists and got close to his face, closer than anyone had been in decades, and gave him a firm “Don’t you EVER mess with my holiday again or I swear to MiM I’ll find you and-“ Bunny stopped his threat midway, not knowing what else to say when the winter being looked at him with wonder in his eyes, panting heavily from the excitement of the chase, cheeks painted in a lavender hue and a small smile adorning his lips.

A particularly harsh gust of wind suddenly reminded Aster why he was angry in the first place and gave Jack a final: “Just- STAY OUT OF MY WAY YA HEAR!?” And with that, Bunny left through a hole in the ground. Jack chuckled at the cute little flower that had been left in his wake and he rubbed his wrists in admiration. Being touched by others had still felt so foreign at the time, and Jack couldn’t forget the soft fur of those big paws for decades to come.

____________

Yep, their relationship had been bumpy from the very beginning; which gave Jack the more reason to believe that Bunny shouldn’t be this strained around him, staring at him like he was dying or something.

“Hey Cottontail~” Jack sang in a playful voice instead of answering to his formalities “I’ll race you to the Warren when we’re done here what do you say?” Jack smiled, trying to break his fellow guardian out of that tense bubble he was in.

But his efforts only shattered when Bunny finally locked eyes with him, brows worried and lips tense in a tight line.

“Why are ya dating that guy, Jack?” Bunny blurted out before he could stop himself.

And the bubble burst.

THIS is why he avoided Jack after the _news_ , because he knew that the moment that Jack would talk to him he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from asking questions, from SAYING something.

“What?” Jack asked softly, smile falling from being taken _completely_ off-guard by such an unexpected response. It took him a second to understand what or rather _who_ Bunny was referring to.

Once he was on the same page, he ran a hand through his hair, forcing out a chuckle to hide his discomfort “What do you mean _why_? I-it just happened.” Jack argued, crossing his arms and leaning back on his chair.

“Yeah well things like that don’t just _happen._ Seriously, frostbite, are ya blind? That guy is a complete wanker!”

The rest of the guardians exchanged side-glances. They weren’t exactly happy about Jack dating the Groundhog either but there wasn’t much they could do about it. That was Jack’s business after all, and if anything were to go wrong they trusted him to let them know.

Bunny dug his claws against his palm, surprising even himself with the sudden outburst.

“Now, Bunny, let’s not-“ North tried to chime in, seeing how things were starting to get heated, only to have his usually dominating voice drowned out by the rising argument of the two.

“Oh really? a _wanker_?” Said Jack, mocking Bunny’s Aussie accent as best as he could and the Pooka could feel himself losing his temper “what do you care anyways? You don’t know him like I do.”

“I don’t care! And I do know him! Which is exactly why you two together is not good news, especially not for me, all ya do is mess with my holiday and that guy is just gonna give ya ideas!”

Only half of that was true. One does not walk the Earth for as long as Bunny has and not pick up a gossip or two about spirits dating Punxsutawney Phil and their awful experiences from it. Granted, he wasn’t as bad as Pitch or as those nasty spirits that would bring illnesses and imminent death to humans, but he still meant trouble.

Bunny’s instincts were screaming at him to go find the guy and fight him, to tell him to back off and to never get close to Jack ever again once he won, good ol’ Pookan style.

But knowing that he couldn’t, or at least that he _shouldn’t,_ was making him boil with the rising anger he felt.

“What?! When was the last time I messed with your holiday?!” Jack stood up, leaning over the table to give Bunny a defying glare “and I mean _really_ messed with it? All I do is freeze the warren once in a while to add some spice into your otherwise boring life. Trust me, if you knew him-”

Bunny laughed bitterly and stood up as well, getting in on Jack’s face as much as he could with the table between them, much like how they had been that time when Jack was first chosen by Manny.

“Mate, I think yer the one who doesn’t know him, how long have ya been with him anyway? You couldn’t stay by yerself a little longer? Huh?” Bunny leaned down, closing in on Jack’s space even more to accentuate his words further. “You seriously had to go for the first idiot that showed any interest in ya?”

“Bunny! Enough!” Tooth intervened, trying to catch his attention in vain.

“I mean the Groundhog?! Really Jack?” Bunny barked out a tight laugh, void of any humor as he ran a paw against his tense ears.

“Those 300 years on yer own must’ve REALLY done a number on ya to go for someone like him!”

It was as if Father Time himself had put the world on pause. 

Jack gasped softly, eyes going wide with hurt as he took in Bunny’s words.

Before, Bunny’s cruel remarks about the time he spent alone was just that, he could handle it; but now, after everything they’ve gone through together and the apparent familiarity and friendship they had built over the years, it just hurt.

Sandy let out a silent, uncomfortable breath at the scene, puffing his cheeks and looking away. North and Tooth just quietly looked on, with expressions that said that they were just as shocked as Jack was.

Saying nothing more, he grabbed his staff and called the wind to take him out of there, using the large open balcony from which he came from to leave the workshop.

  


“Just what is your problem?!” Tooth finally said after a beat, flying over to Bunny and getting in his face, breaking the silence that had fallen at Jack’s exit.

“I-I, I…” Bunny stammered, taking a few steps back and shamefully looking at his old friends staring back at him with the slightest hint of disappointment.

“I don’t know...” He finally said, ears going flat against his head as he looked up to the balcony, wishing he could take back his words with the force of his regret.

The meeting ended then; there was no point in finishing it properly with how tense the usually pleasant gathering had turned out.

 _Leave him be. Give him space to cool off._ Sandy advised him and Bunny nodded. He didn’t think he had the courage of looking for Jack right now, anyways.

  


Jack flew through the harsh wind, tears immediately drying the moment they left his eyes.

_What did Bunny know?_

_What could he possibly know?_

He was the type of person to immediately judge you and make assumptions. Just a decade ago, Jack was still “just an irresponsible, childis _h and careless nobody”_ So what does he know about Hog? Nothing, that’s what.

Jack landed on powdery snow, glaring at the frozen lake that saw his rebirth.

_But then again, Bunny was right._

_Who was he kidding?_

Jack wasn’t defending his “lover” was he? No, he was defending his pride, because Bunny was right.

After trying and trying to give his friend multiple signals of interest, he eventually gave up. Although, Jack had to admit that his flirting techniques were a bit…unconventional. Teasing the person that you like just so they’d pay attention to you isn’t exactly the best way to go about it, especially if it’s someone as hotheaded as Bunny, but it was the only way that Jack knew.

So when he met the Groundhog, one time while bringing snow to Canada, this proud spirit with a good-looking built, it reminded him so much of what he couldn’t have.

His fur wasn’t as soft, his accent wasn’t as alluring, he wasn’t as talented or as hardworking as Bunny, and yeah maybe he wasn’t the type of person to be loving or kind, mostly ever; but he was _something_ and Jack would take anything he could get.

It made him so mad that Bunny had read him that easily.

The townsfolk woke up the next day to find their driveways buried in snow.

 _What a storm! Jack Frost must be upset today,_ one mother told her child.

____________

  


Bunny sank on the soft Persian pillows, glaring at his glass of lemon water dripping on the small coffee table in front of him.

Usually, North was the guy he’d go with to talk about his problems, but issues like _this,_ needed a more sensitive point of view.

Bunny decided that asking for Tooth’s opinion on the matter was the most logical thing to do, despite her initial indignation.

“So” began Tooth, pausing to take a sip. “That’s why you acted like such an idiot.”

“I don’t get it Tooth, why would he-“ Bunny sat up to properly face his friend “I-I mean why would he go for someone like the bloody Groundhog? He sucks!” Bunny scoffed, raising his arms in emphasis.

“Aaand you’re feeling jealous, I see.” The Guardian of Memories said matter-of-fact, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and in a way, it was.

Aster’s face was of pure horror, as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!! Hold it there sheila! No one said anything about anyone being jealous I just care about Jack’s well-being, you know, as a mate!” Bunny justified, feeling stricken by Tooth’s conclusion.

“So you say.” She nodded, not believing Aster in the slightest. Sticking to her own hypothesis, she then settled on testing it further.

“Have you noticed how much he looks like you though?” Tooth said casually, taking another sip to brace herself for impact.

“Excuse me?!” Bunny almost yelled, feeling deeply offended at the comparison. He had come here to have a heart-to-heart about the situation and all he was getting were out-in-left-field comments that were making his usual headache return with a vengeance.

Tooth just shrugged “Don’t tell me you don’t see a small resemblance though. You’re both about the same height, covered in fur from head to toe and you both have an accent that make the nymphs swoon.” Tooth joked but Bunny wasn’t laughing.

“Besides, you and I both know that he’s not the first spirit to take a liking to him, with teeth as perfect as his? No, he went with Punxsutawney for a reason.” Tooth said, holding herself back from rambling on and on about just how _perfect_ those pearly whites were.

Bunny rolled his eyes at the mention of teeth “So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying Jack has a type.”

Bunny blinked, his brain struggling to process everything she was implying.

Tooth ruffled her feathers in frustration at Bunny’s reaction, putting her glass down.

“Bunny you really are dense! Why else do you think Jack teases you so much? I’ve seen kids do that all the time, it’s probably the only way he feels like he can get your attention or something.” Tooth felt herself frowning at the Pooka’s lack of receptiveness but quickly relaxed with a sigh.

These things can be complicated to deal with, it was only natural. It was the way cupid had made them to be, he loved the drama of it all.

She looked down and giggled fondly “And the way he looks at you all gooey eye too, it’s pretty obvious.” She explained, reaching forward to grab a pinch of mint leaves from a small container resting on the coffee table and sprinkled them on her water.

“I just love how lemon water tastes with mint, you want some on yours?”

“No I-“ Bunny mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. The poor guy looked as if he wanted to open up a hole and hide away in his warren for the rest of forever.

Tooth had to admit it was entertaining to see someone like Aster so worried over things like this, but she knew that being anything but direct with Bunnymund wouldn’t get through to him. _Time to get serious_.

“Look, I know it’s hard for you, it must be hard for Jack too, I can imagine.” Tooth stirred her drink in thought, thinking her words carefully.

“Both of you suffered a lot, you both lost everything and I see why it would be hard for you to admit to what’s right in front of you; but in the end, it all depends on what you want to do. You can fight for what you really want or you can let someone else have it.” She smiled, laying a hand on Bunny’s shoulder, making him look up into her wise eyes. “What do you really want, Aster?”

____________

Jack bit his lip, trying to drown out the feeling of rough, big paws roaming his body.

“Damn it you’re too fuckin’ cold!” Hog spat, snatching his hands away from Jack’s torso and bringing them up to his mouth to blow warm air into them.

“Sorry, I’m a winter spirit; I’d warm up if I could.” Jack replied, more sarcastically than he had intended, looking anywhere else but at the person on top of him.

“You a bit owly today, eh? That’s alright, I can deal with that.” Hog said, positioning himself between Jack’s legs.

It was the usual; Jack would fly to Hog’s burrow at the indicated day and time and he’d allow himself to be devoured by his imposter lover somewhere underground.

It wasn’t completely unpleasant, not as much as it used to be, at least. Hog knew Jack’s body very well by now. After a few months of their so called “relationship”, it was inevitable for him to know exactly where to touch inside him to make him cum.

Ragged breathing inundated the large underground room; Jack’s legs wrapped tightly around Hog’s waist as he clung to his neck and breathed shakily in his ear.

“That’s right, good job Jackie you’re doing good baby, that’s it.”

Jack wished for a moment that he would go mute, or that he would go deaf. The friction inside of him was harder to ignore, nonetheless, and he could feel his body already betraying him.

The first time Jack and Hog had been together like this was still something that pricked at his mind once in a while.

____________

“You love me don’t you?” Hog had asked him, gently rubbing the inside of his thigh in an attempt to comfort or perhaps even persuade the winter spirit.

“I-I mean…” Hog glared at him, not liking where his answer was heading.

How could Jack possibly have an answer to that when they were still getting to know each other? The grip on his leg suddenly tightened, edging on painful and Jack winced at the claws threatening to pierce his skin. He quickly scrambled to correct his answer “I do, but-“

“Then it would be a pleasure to do this with me isn’t that right?” interrupted Hog, lifting a paw to hold Jack’s chin up to look him in the eye.

He had to do this didn’t he?

_He had to._

Because if he didn’t, then Hog would get bored of him and he would drop him, and MiM knows he can’t be alone with his feelings, not again. He needed this. He had to do this.

And so he did.

After that, their relationship changed drastically. Hog wasn’t interested in hanging out with him and just talking as much as he used to. It seemed as if all of their interactions had to end with Jack getting used over and over again and a new bruise being added to his body.

He had initially been attracted to the other by his confidence and humor; while other’s thought the Groundhog’s pride was too much, Jack found himself eating it up, laughing at his many stories and pranks he had played on the humans throughout the centuries and while it was true that he was nowhere near from being Bunny, Jack decided that he wasn’t too bad.

That was until he got too comfortable. He soon noticed that the Groundhog had him pinned as moldable, that he could do whatever he wanted to him and he wouldn’t protest; and so, the possessiveness and yelling began.

Jack was careless at heart, it was inevitable for him to sometimes forget to tell the other about his whereabouts 24/7, or to lose track of time when playing with the kids of Burgess to remember that he had agreed on meeting with Hog somewhere else.

He was grateful that his hoodie hid the many bruises and markings of Hog’s outbursts. Jack couldn’t bear to think about his friends looking at the hand prints that had bloomed on his arms and wrists after all the dragging around and the pulling and pushing and-

A small price he had to pay for company. He thought. No big deal. He did have a reputation of making people lose their temper, after all.

____________

Jack tried to concentrate on the feeling of Hog’s cock sliding in and out of his body to distract himself of those memories, trying to enjoy the rare gentle treatment he was receiving. His moans were quiet and soft, almost timid. He knew Hog liked it when he was loud but most of the time, Jack had no courage enough to do such a thing. The sounds that he would force out of him were perpetually full of shame, as if letting him know that he was enjoying it in the slightest was going against his morals.

Closing his eyes, Jack hid his face in the crook of the other’s neck, rubbing his face against the rough fur and trying to materialize himself somewhere else.

His mind would take him to his lake, to his favorite tree to nap on, to the woods he knew so well.

It would take him to the warren.

To Bunny’s face, his voice, that smell of spring flowers mixed with chocolate and the earthy soil. When he thought about Bunny, being himself wasn’t so difficult, letting those sounds out of his mouth wasn’t as shameful and Jack’s heart was suddenly full of _Hope_.

  


His euphoria quickly vanished, however, as he was snatched out of his daydream by a violent yank of his hair.

“The fuck did you just say you little fucker?”

_What?_

Jack could only stare back with fear, mouth slightly opened at a loss for words.

  


The realization that he had said Bunny’s name hit him like a train.

It had been something barely above from a whisper, but there was no way that Hog would miss it by how close he was to his ears.

“Hog I-I I don’t-“ Jack blurted out, trying to explain himself, to try and doze the flames of anger that he could already feel burning him, but before he could say anything more, he was dropped on the nest that served as a bed with brute force.

“You want to fuck the Easter Bunny so bad huh!? That so?!”

Hog yelled, towering over Jack in a way that scared the life out of him. He notices with dread how his claws began to unsheathe and scooted away from the edge of the bed as far away as he could before hitting his back against the dirt wall.

“Nonono Hog that’s not- I didn’t mean to-“Jack waved his hands in front of him, trying to defend himself.

“I had my suspicions” Hog laughed cruelly “Not that I care, but you’re a very good fuck and I don’t like sharing.” Hog leaned forward to wrap one hand around Jack’s neck, closing in his airways.

Spirits may be, in a sense, immortal; but the damage that one could do to another’s body was considerable.

Jack’s eyes went wide in fear, trying to desperately regain the oxygen that was being quickly stolen from his lungs. “And it’s very humiliating to hear someone else’s name while I’m pounding into a hole you know?” Hog squeezed harder, claws digging into Jack’s skin like butter. “You’re breaking my heart Jackie.” He crooned, tone painfully artificial and venomous.

He lifted Jack off the bed by his neck, the pathetic weight of his thin body barely making him do any effort. He accommodated himself against Jack’s hole once more, but this time, there was no praising or any sliver of carefulness as he entered him completely in one thrust.

His plunges were violent and angry, as if hurting Jack was the only thing on his mind, no longer seeking for any type of physical compensation. Soon, Jack’s vision began to darken by the corners, head feeling lighter as consciousness began to leave his body.

“Sto…Haugh…ple-” His gurgled pleas fell on deaf ears, and although his body should’ve been used to this by now it couldn’t resist much longer.

Having died as a virgin was a disadvantage that came with his immortality. His body could never change in any way and the tightness of his permanently chaste body was not an exception.

This was a pain in the ass, quite literally; and Hog loved to use it as a way to punish him when he felt like he didn’t deserve the consideration of being gentle.

“What does he have that I don’t hm?” Hog asked in forced groans, hand still squeezing ruthlessly “I bet my cock is even bigger than his anyways, what do you think?” Hog asked Jack as if he could answer him in his state. He stared at him with dark eyes, not wanting to miss the way cold tears ran down his pale cheeks until they froze midway.

Jack may have had little to no experience when it came to love, but he was pretty sure this wasn’t what Eros had in mind when he created it.

This wasn’t worth it, Hog wasn’t worth it. No matter how much of a replacement Jack thought he’d be to fulfill those unrequited feelings inside of him, this had to stop.

He had put up with the smacks to the face and scratches that littered his body. He had ignored the bruises and the times he’d have to do things that went against his wishes just to please his so called lover, but this couldn’t go on.

Jack may have been a broken, lonely, touch-starved charity case but he couldn’t put up with this, he still had a remainder of common sense within him.

He looked up to glare at the other. The temperature in the room swiftly began to descend until it became unbearable, making Hog stop his thrusting to take in the shift of his usually warm home.

He laughed as he realized what Jack was doing, and brought him closer to his face “Oooh cold, I’m so scared, and what are you gonna do huh? Nip at my nose?”

If the Groundhog was anything, he was stupid.

It was common for other spirits to underestimate Jack Frost before the news that Pitch Black’s defeat had been mostly his doing, but now? Not so much. Everyone had heard about the winter elemental that faced the dark king powered with the belief of just one child. That battle had really sealed the deal as a testament of his power.

“Yeah.” Jack deadpanned, lifting his hands to grab at the arm that was holding him up. Hog’s amusement began to fade as he noticed the burning sensation traveling up his limbs and panicked as he saw his arm frozen in place, then his legs, and then his whole body, only his nose and eyes were spared from the frost, obeying Jack’s mercy and stopping just before being lethal for the other spirit.

That will surely keep him in place for a little while.

Jack ripped away from his hold and rubbed at the bruised skin of his neck. He quickly dressed, pulling on the head of his hoodie to hide the bruises and headed for his staff that was laying somewhere on the ground.

He spared a last glance at Hog before leaving the burrow; He really looked scared shitless now. Despite all the abuse that Jack had put up with these past few months, he never once reciprocated. This sudden fighting-back had the messenger trembling in his spot.

“We’re done.” He announced, a silent warning not to look for him after this. Jack then reached up to his face to flick Hog’s nose with a cold finger and effectively, freezing the tip.

Feeling satisfied, he called the wind and flew out into the surface and high up into the freedom of the sky. 

His frozen lake welcomed him with warm arms. Jack scooped up a handful of snow and shaped it as he blew into it, the magic seeping into the snowball. He then pulled the scruff of his hoodie open to smear the snow on his skin to help it heal faster.

So he was back to square one.

Jack felt strangely warm tears pooling in his eyes, he could feel the wind surrounding him where he was standing in what was their own version of a comforting hug.

He felt…happy.

Although his relationship with Hog had meant to make him feel less incomplete it had been the complete opposite.

“What was I thinking?” Jack mumbled to himself.

Maybe Bunny had been right; Maybe those 300 years he spent by himself had damaged his judgement more than he thought.

He had been so scared to think about what he felt for the other guardian that he had gone for the most harmful solution he had found; and no matter how terrible of a person Hog was, it wasn’t fair for him, it wasn’t fair for _anyone,_ to be a replacement for Jack’s problems.

He had to tell Bunny. If he rejected him then good, maybe then Jack would be able to forget about his misplaced feelings and be able to act like himself again.

 _How_ and _when_ he was going to do it was a problem for future Jack though.

The weather on Burgess was just right the rest of the week. The gently falling snow made the town glimmer when the soft sunrays would reflect its light on it, and somehow, it didn’t become a chore for the adults that would usually have to shovel it for hours out of their driveways. It was as if the whole town was under the influence of Jack Frost’s joyous magic.

____________

“HO! HO! HO! Merry Christmas everybody!” Sang Jack, dodging the busy yetis in the workshop that were desperately trying to finish all their duties in time. Phil shook a fist at him in what he assumed was a _watch where you’re going!_

“Jack! My boy! Excellent impression!” Said North, doing his iconic Santa Claus laugh in return as he greeted his friend.

Jack couldn’t feel happier. Despite being busy beyond belief, North still called to his comrades to get together before he set off all around the world in just a few days to spread the wonder of his holiday to the children. Christmas being so close was a reason to celebrate and he wouldn’t miss it for anything.

And although he was a skillful warrior, North was also a man of peace. After Jack and Bunny’s strange fight a few weeks ago he felt like he needed to bring his friends together one more time before he got too busy with the “greatest holiday” there is, as he puts it.

And Jack? Well, he was feeling ecstatic by the fact that for the first time in months, he could hang out with his friends without having to worry about watching the time and letting anyone know where he was at all times.

“The others will be here any moment now!” North said, pouring himself a glass of eggnog and vodka, one of his favorites.

Jack descended slowly on the soft living room carpet, smile falling a little.

Bunny would most likely come too and he felt anxious at the idea. The last time they’d talk was a few weeks back after their argument.

North seemed to notice his uneasiness as he settled in his huge recliner sofa.

“Bah! Do not worry about rabbit. You two fight all the time and go back to normal like this!” assured North with a snap of his fingers.

Jack looked at the flames dancing in the cozy fireplace. North was right, they’d fight just as bad in the past and gone right back to normal as if nothing had happened. They had just needed to cool off, as always.

Bunny had been really angry though.

Jack came to the conclusion that any of his friends dating the Groundhog would be reason enough for Bunny to blow a fuse; it wasn’t about him.

It couldn’t be.

Bunny wouldn’t care about who he was messing around with if it had been anyone else. He really didn’t like the guy apparently, so it was understandable that he would freak out the way he did. He was looking out for Jack like a good friend would and he had pushed him away. Yes, he’d been cruel, but that’s just Bunny’s way of letting you know you’re being stupid.

Jack chuckled fondly at the thought of his short-tempered friend being so worried for him, in his own way. “Yeah I guess you’re right.”

“I am always right!” North beamed “Eggnog?”

“Uuh no thanks, North.” Said Jack shaking his head with an amused smile, knowing very well how out of hand North can get with the drinking.

“Hey aren’t you supposed to be running around getting things ready? Christmas IS in a few days.” Jack decided to change the topic, setting his staff down and sitting on the comfortable rug.

“Run around? Nyet nyet! That’s the Yeti’s job; I’ll run around plenty on Christmas day!” North said proudly and Jack laughed, shaking his head in amusement at his friend’s careless attitude.

“Bunny would be cooped up in his warren not letting anyone in if his holiday was this close.” Jack said, remembering all those times the sentinels had to kick him out of the warren when he’d sneaked in with the intention of teasing the Pooka when Easter was just around the corner.

“Hmm yes, but Bunny is worrywart, after all. He worries deeply about the things he loves.” Said North, taking a cookie from a passing elf and dipping it in his spiked eggnog.

_The things he loves huh?_

Bunny made his way to the living area of the workshop, shaking his fur to clean himself from the snow stuck to it and rubbing his hands together to warm them up. None of the yetis even bothered to greet him as they ran around the workshop frantically.

Of course North would leave all the work to them. No wonder the guy had time to mingle with his holiday so near.

Making his way through the sea of toys, he soon reached the living room area. Tooth, Sandy and North were already there, drinking away and laughing, a completely different mood from the last time they were all together.

Unwrapping his green scarf from his neck and throwing it aside, Aster scanned the room for any signs of Jack and immediately spotted his signature staff resting against a wall.

So he had decided to come. Aster was almost sure the other wouldn’t show up, hating him too much for their little fight to even bother to see his face, but now that he was sure that he was indeed here…

He was nervous.

Him, E. Aster Bunnymund. The “nerves of steel” guy was nervous beyond belief. He remembered his promise to himself back at the Tooth palace.

____________

  


“So? What are you going to do?” Tooth asked him, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

“I’m-” Bunny gulped, looking at his friend decidedly and nodding his head once “I’m going to tell him.”

“Oh thank MiM! Finally!”

Tooth clapped her dainty hands together, making Bunny roll his eyes.

“Alright, alright don’t get too excited now sheila, it might not go well and you know it.”

“Well, in that case, let’s hope you get an early Christmas miracle.” Tooth said, smiling compassionately at his troubled friend.

____________

Bunnymund was going to tell Jack how he felt, and he needed no Christmas miracle.

He knew there was no possibility of his feelings being reciprocated, no matter what Tooth said, Jack already had someone. The least he could do, for his own sake, was to be honest with himself for once in his life. Whatever the outcome, he would just have to deal.

Jack had wormed his way into his heart and now he had to deal with it.

The moment he met that brat on the blizzard of 68’ was the moment that marked Bunny’s doom. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything more than to yell at him, even though he’d wanted to bash his pretty face in for ruining Easter.

Yeah, the little bloke had him somewhat by the balls.

Bunny suddenly becomes like a kit again when he’s around, not being able to hold himself back from reacting to his playful remarks and games.

Jack was just, very different, from anything he’d seen in his long, long, long lifetime; and so, Bunny would react the only way he knew how, with his default defensive attitude and temperamental retorts.

“Bunny, there you are! Come have a drink!” North greeted him and handed him a glass of something as he approached the group. Bunny could already tell where this night was headed.

“North, this better not be 99% vodka mate I’m bein’ serious.” Said Bunny playfully, eyeing his glass.

“HAHA what fun would that be if it wasn’t?” North cackled, slapping a huge hand on Bunny’s back with a strength that only he could take without being knocked over.

So it was going to be one of those nights, alright then.

A laughter that he knew all too well abruptly filled his ears and Bunny turned to see Phil the Yeti enter the room with a mischievous-looking Jack hanging upside down. The Yeti’s huge hand grabbing Jack by one of his ankles like he was a ragdoll and threw him in the air away from the workshop’s working area.

Phil glared at North as he put his hands up “Da da! I get it, you are busy! He’ll stay out of hair, promise!” The Yeti huffed angrily at the response and left to return to his work.

The Guardians all burst in laughter the moment Phil left the room.

That’s when Bunny realized that his friends were a bit hammered already. He knew that being late because of his overthinking would set him back on the drinking but he never thought I’d be this far.

Sandy laughed hysterically without making a sound as the images above his head struggled to form.

“Da Sandy is right! Bunny is next!”

“I would say so, I successfully completed my dare.” Jack did a silly bow to his adoring public, descending slowly and not missing how Bunny had finally arrived but feeling grateful that the alcohol in his lightweight system was giving him the courage to act like it was nothing.

Bunny’s sober brain finally caught on. His friends were playing something in their drunken stupor. Seeing how troubled Phil was he assumed Jack had been dared to go mess with him.

Aster felt his tension subsiding with how normal Jack was acting around him so he allowed himself to play along with the game.

“Alright then, shoot.” Bunny challenged the others, gulping down his glass in one swift move, barely wincing at the burn.

  


The night went on smoothly and everyone was now positively drunk.

Sandy, being the sleeping beauty that he was, took the couch to sleep it off. Streams of sand flew everywhere from him and into unknown places to give pleasant dreams to children everywhere. He was lucky he could still do his job even while sleeping. Tooth was probably the least plastered of the five, being the only one with some common sense she stopped drinking hours ago. She also had work to do 24/7 and felt so bad for leaving her fairies with all the work even for just one night. She couldn’t take the luxury of taking a day off due to hangover. North had taken the liberty of wrestling with some of the yetis that were forced to leave their work to humor their boss. Bunny was already slurring his words, accent getting thicker by the minute but could still see straight thanks to his high tolerance, and Jack was a happy, sloppy mess.

Bunny had never seen his friend so blushy and giggly before; his drunken demeanor reminded him of a little girl, if he was honest. Jack’s usually boyish voice was now edging on high pitched as he whined every word he’d say.

They had gotten along well tonight, neither of them had said a word about their fight but Bunny assumed it was better this way.

“Oi North! Yer gettin’ yer arse beat by yer own Yeti? Come on ya dunce!” Slurred Bunny, cheering on his friend that was struggling under the headlock of one of his biggest helpers. Despite being the one winning, the yeti looked miserable and as if it just wanted to get back to work.

“Gghh I got it I got it! I’m just warming up!” Wheezed North, in his thick Russian accent.

Bunny Laughed and shook his head. North’s gatherings always ended up being ridiculous. He was glad he had decided to come; that things weren’t terrible right away and that they were able to have fun like this. He really needed the distraction.

Bunny then turned to look at Jack to share the hilarious moment but stopped when he didn’t see the boy that was sitting beside him just a few moments ago. He looked to the end of the room, past the back opened door and saw the winter spirit sitting on the balcony’s railing.

He took a deep breath and got up, walking over to where Jack was. The absence of the two wasn’t really taken notice of by anyone.

Anyone except for Tooth, who smiled at the Pooka for finally taking the chance, “Good luck rabbit” she mumbled to herself, hoping the best for the two.

  


Being alone with Jack like this made his slight inebriation go away, now suddenly feeling too painfully sober for this. Aster took another deep breath before going for it.

“This seat taken?” He asked in what he assumed was a friendly enough interruption of Jack’s pensive moment. He had been peacefully staring at the untouched Antarctic sky, completely free of pollution. The lack of clouds just complemented the beauty of the stars, clear and glowing like cosmic fireflies.

“Nah go ahead” replied Jack, patting the spot beside him “if you dare.”

The smirk he gave him then made Bunny’s heart race, thinking that maybe he had caught on to his intentions but then quickly realizing that he was referring to the dizzyingly huge fall beneath them.

Aster eyed the bottomless fall “Uh…ya know what? I’d rather just stand.” Jack turned his head to face him and chuckled at his fear of heights. “Suit yourself Roo.” Jack shrugged at his friend “You know I wouldn’t let you fall, anyways.” And smiled, returning his gaze to the stars.

Bunny crossed his arms over the railing and leaned, joining Jack in his spontaneous stargazing.

“You okay frostbite?” Bunny side-eyed the boy.

“Mhm” hummed Jack, with hazy eyes and a frozen lavender hue to his cheeks that made him look angelic.

“You sure?” Jack burst out laughing at that “Where is all this worry coming from huh Bun Bun?” Jack turned his body so that he was sitting facing the other and Bunny’s ears immediately shot backwards at being called out.

“I swear you worry too much, who could’ve thought that you could care about anything else that wasn’t Easter am I right?” Jack said with no flare to his words, obviously teasing as he winked at Aster.

“I care about what’s important.” Bunny told the sky but he could still see Jack’s eyes going comically wide in his peripheral.

“Oh? I didn’t know I was important. See? You do care.” Said Jack, tone implying that he was just playing, not serious in the slightest; but Bunny just surprised him again.

“Yeah, you are.” Forest green eyes finally had the grit to look into Sapphire ones and there was no doubt that Bunny was being serious.

Maybe it was the alcohol giving him courage, maybe he was tired of playing these games with Jack, or maybe he just wanted to lift the burden off his shoulder, but there was a lot Bunny needed to say.

“Look, snowdrop, first of all I just want to…” Aster took a deep breath, looking away from Jack’s intense stare “I just want to apologize, for everything. I absolutely hate the guy I’m not gonna lie but-he’s yer mate, and I shouldn’t have said the things I said okay? Maybe you do know him better than I do I don’t know, I should’ve just trusted ya instead of going off at you like that.” Finished Aster, looking down and resting a hand on the back of his neck; trying to recover from all this sincerity.

Jack stayed quiet for what felt like hours, instead opting to drift his eyes to the snowy mountains in the far distance, making Aster grow anxious by the minute.

“But you were right.” Jack said, finally.

After considering it for a brief second, he pulled his hoodie off his head and pulled the collar away so that Bunny could have a good look at the fading dark bruises and cuts on his neck. They looked less prominent now, but they were still there on Jack’s impossibly pale skin, clear as the night sky they were under. 

“What-” Bunny could barely register what he was seeing before Jack spoke again.

“You were right, he _is_ a wanker.” Jack said, laughing softly at how he was reusing Bunny’s words, but Bunny didn’t find it funny in the slightest.

“He _did_ that to you?” Aster reached forward without thinking, grazing his fingers as gently as a feather over the collar of bruises on that thin neck.

Bunny was meant to be the spirit of Hope.

What would the kids say if they knew the Easter Bunny had killed someone? Right now, none of that mattered. Bunny wanted to fucking _kill_ that bastard. He’d wanted to open up a hole right then and there and go look for him, probably skin him alive and decorate his living room with a nice Groundhog rug.

Jack’s face filled with realization, appearing to sense Bunny’s intentions and gripped his arm.

“Hey! But it’s okay now! I took care of it.”

“It’s not okay Jack! How many times did he put his hands on you?”

Bunny had lost a mate once, millions and millions of years ago, the pain having been too unbearable he was sure he might die. The fact that someone as the likes of the Groundhog had the _honor_ of having Jack as their mate and would mistreat him like this was just…unbelievable. He just couldn’t fathom.

The Universe was really unfair at times, wasn’t it?

“It’s okay Bunny.” Jack repeated, avoiding Bunny’s question and instead running a hand through the tuffs of fur on his shoulder soothingly.

Aster wasn’t the one that needed comfort right now and yet, he was being the one reassured.

He’d _definitely_ deal with the Groundhog later.

“I broke up with him.” Jack shot Bunny an assertive smile.

“Aaand I also kinda, sorta turned him into an icicle.” Jack shrugged, smile turning sheepish.

The look on Bunny’s face then was one of complete amusement and Jack felt like he could breathe again. He really wasn’t sure if telling Bunny, or anyone really, would be a good idea; but the fact that Aster was being there for him, willing to listen more than anything was what really mattered to Jack.

“He really shouldn’t have messed with ya isn’t that right frostbite?” Bunny quipped, ruffling Jack’s snow white hair. They both laughed at the gesture, feeling relieved and lighter by each other’s words, the alcohol in their system making the whole thing even more delightful.

He’d just have to deal with _him_ later. Bunny couldn’t afford to make a scene right now; Jack needed the support, he needed him there.

“I’m not done yet, though” Bunny suddenly said, his face becoming serious for a moment and Jack followed, willing to listen to his friend back for all eternity if it was necessary.

“But wait, I’ll be right back…” Bunny told Jack, lifting a finger while walking backwards inside.

Once in, Bunny looked around for a second until he found one of North’s bottles on the table. Serving himself a shot, he gulped it down swiftly. Before walking back outside, Aster spared a glance to his friend who was now fast asleep on the floor hugging a poor yeti in his sleep. Toothiana had joined Sandy on the couch, resting her eyes.

If Bunny was going to do something this was the perfect chance.

Once out, and with a fresh shot of pure vodka in his system, Bunny felt like he could do this. Not that he needed it, but it was nice to be a little less sober for this next part in case things went wrong.

“Alright, so…first of all I’m-, I-I felt so horrible when I said those things to you about ya bein’ alone. It wasn’t fair, and it was cruel and I went too far and I’m really, very sorry Jack.” Bunny blurted out, a little too fast for his liking but that would have to do for now.

All Jack could do was stare.

He let out an impressed scoff “The Easter Bunny apologizing not once, but _two_ times in a row? This whole place might melt and become a desert any second now.” Jack gave him the kindest of looks.

“…but seriously though, I really appreciate it. Thank you Bunny.” And Jack smiled, genuinely _smiled_ because he really did appreciate Bunny doing the effort.

He never apologized, to anyone. Bunny was a guy of expression, much like his art. Using his words for something good was never, ever a possibility. Except now Bunny was breaking Jack’s expectations of him left and right.

Jack drew his knees in and hugged himself, resting his chin on them and somehow keeping his balance on the thin railing. He seemed pensive “And yet, you were right about that too.”

“No, Jack-“

“No, you totally were. I felt lonely and I needed someone to fill the void.” Jack let out a relieved little laugh as he thought about all of it “300 years on your own can do things to you for real.”

He fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie, thinking that maybe he had a thing or two to apologize for as well “And for what it’s worth though, I’m sorry too, you know, for not listening…I should’ve trusted my old, ancient, wise friend instead of a guy I had barely just met.” Jack looked up at Aster through his lashes, waiting for his reaction.

“Oi! Piss off I’m not ancient!” Aster laughed and Jack gave him a good-natured “But you are!” their laughter slowly dying down before a comfortable silence took over them.

Bunny knew.

The first few millenniums after losing every single person he loved, his former mate included, felt as if there was an emptiness inside his chest. He had dated a plethora of harmful spirits and witches throughout his time wandering the Earth alone, but then decided to stay by himself when all he got from those dates were petty curses and slaps to the face.

He couldn’t blame Jack for trying it out at least once.

“Do you…remember when we met?” Bunny suddenly asked him, staring down at his hands resting on the cold railing instead of looking at Jack.

“Do I? That was probably the best day of my life before meeting you guys.”

“Oh, really? And why’s that? I pretty much just yelled at ya mate.” Bunny shrugged and snickered, remembering how he had tracked down the culprit of that blizzard expecting some kind of winter witch; Aster had been floored (although still furious) but floored when he saw Jack.

“You kidding? That was the day I officially met THE Easter Bunny, I told you I was a big fan.”

With a swift wave of Jack’s hand, a cute little ice bunny materialized into the air.

Aster watched it hop around his head and back to Jack, smiling at the spirit’s beautiful creation.

“I was star-struck!” said Jack, clasping petite hands together and tilting his head, trying his best to look like an adoring fan “But now that I know how grumpy and boring you are, not so much.” He joked, nudging Aster softly on his side with his foot.

Bunny looked down at his hands once more; shaking his head with a smirk and feeling all too flattered from the compliments. He knew his holiday was the best, of course, but being told exactly that by the person he cared for the most was a whole different feeling.

“Well I’m glad ya ruined that Easter then.” Jack’s snow bunny stopped its hopping in its tracks and crumbled when the confession reached his ears.

“Wait what?! Did I hear that right? You’re _glad_ I ruined Easter? Gee North’s vodka does things to your head Bunny I’m convinced“

Jack’s skepticism didn’t break Bunny from his pensive state, thinking his words carefully.

“I am. I’m glad ya did because I met you.” Aster wasn’t looking anywhere; he could feel the skin under his fur warming up with the embarrassment of everything that was coming out of his mouth.

Jack’s heart began to race, seeing how Aster was being honest.

“I wanted to beat ya into a pulp so bad, not gonna lie mate.” Bunny admitted, scoffing with a chuckle at the memory “But something about ya…I just couldn’t.”

He wasn’t about to admit that what had stopped him that day from obliterating him had been Jack’s incredibly fragile looking face.

Jack had no right to look the way he did, how could Bunny possibly hurt someone like that? Just the thought of one of his thick paws wrapping around his thin neck much like how the Groundhog must’ve done made his entire body shiver. He just couldn’t.

Aster would’ve happily given Pitch a piece of his mind back in 2012, but he couldn’t even bring himself to put a hand on Jack, even when he had thought that the demise of his holiday that year had been his fault.

Despite everything, despite what everyone might think, Aster was soft for the winter spirit and just now he could accept that part of himself.

“Look, mate, what I’m trying to say is that, you mean a lot to me, more than _anyone_. A-And I don’t know how to say this and I’ll completely understand if ya don’t feel the same way but I’m-ya know, I-I kinda-” Bunny struggled to form his words, hands moving with the many scrambling thoughts in his brain that he wasn’t sure if he was ready to let out.

  


He was put out of his misery, almost falling off the balcony when he felt a pair of small lips leaving a quick, soft little peck on his furry cheek; his ears shot up into the air, going stiff and his narrow eyes widened in surprise.

Did Jack just…

Jack quickly leaned back on his spot as he let out a breathy, nervous little laughter at Bunny’s reaction, wanting to slap himself for doing something so impulsive.

His fear just increased when Aster stayed quiet, bringing a paw up to his cheek to where Jack had pecked him, looking at him like he was a ghost.

“S-sorry, I thought you were going to-“Jack shifted nervously, more than ready to get off the balcony’s railing and dash back inside with the moral safety of the others. Maybe he had misunderstood what Bunny was trying to say, as he usually did.

But before he could make any attempt to escape, a pair of strong hands gripped his upper arms tightly, pulling him forward.

Then Jack’s cold cheek was assaulted with the feeling of a big, warm tongue gently swiping up his face. It felt tender and sweet and it lasted less than a few seconds but it was enough to make Jack feel like melting into a puddle.

The wet patch of skin felt warm, burning even, sizzling with the energy of the contrasting temperatures clashing with each other.

As they parted, Jack could hear Bunny’s agitated breath, like he was trying very hard to contain _something_ within himself and Jack felt the need to touch his cheek the same way Bunny had. Maybe he hadn’t fucked up after all.

  


“What was-“

“You started it!” Bunny realized how much like a child he sounded right now but _MIM_ he was nervous and he couldn’t help but be a bit defensive. If Jack hadn’t taken that first step then maybe he wouldn’t have done what he just did but fuck it, he was feeling brave and if he didn’t do anything he might just explode from keeping it all inside.

Aster looked to the side, avoiding Jack’s eyes at all cost, but with his near 360 degree vision it was very hard not to.

He stayed still, watching as Jack slowly leaned forward from the corner of his eye and then shivered, feeling how a cold little bundle settled on his chest and under his chin, wrapping his arms around Bunny’s torso, resting his hands on his shoulder blades.

Neither of them moved, or said a word, too nervous to or too unsure.

“Did you just give me a little bunny kiss?” Jack whispered after a beat of silence, a bit playful but mostly hopeful, smiling up at Bunny under the cozy curve of his furry neck.

“So what if I did?” Aster mumbled, ears flat against his head, still avoiding Jack’s eyes.

“Can I get ‘nother one?” Bunny finally looked down at Jack’s request and almost jumped back as he felt those same cold lips plant a little kiss on his nose, making it twitch.

“Oi quit that!” Bunny protested halfheartedly, his nose tingling where Jack had kissed it.

Aster had no idea just how their conversation had turned into a kissing sesh, similar to the one that two kids would get into, exchanging innocent smooches with each other at the park, but he wasn’t complaining.

“I really like you, Aster.” Jack whispered in the secrecy of their proximity and buried his face in Bunny’s chest, breathing in the sweet smell of flowers and chocolate.

Aster felt as his chest swelled at Jack calling him by his real name, the syllables sounding just _right_ in his lips. Burying his nose in fresh-fallen-snow hair he wrapped his arms around him, staying quiet since he could feel that that wasn’t everything that Jack needed to get off his chest.

Jack breathed out a broken laughter at the embrace, being followed by shaky sobs that he couldn’t contain any longer.

“I like you so much I even dated that asshole just to deal with it because I knew that you would never-that you would never-“ 

And then Aster had heard enough.

Hands went flying to each side of Jack’s tear-stained face, bringing them together as Bunny connected their lips, making a point of kissing Jack in a way that he could really understand.

They were both drunk and emotional and the anatomies of their mouths were definitely not made to fit each other, but they still did, so imperfectly perfect. Aster could feel Jack’s whimpers vibrating in his lips and his hands tightening their pull on his chest fur.

The kiss was deep but chaste, lips together and no tongue in what seemed to be an inexperienced exploration of each other’s mouth.

“That I would never what? Hm? That I would never fall for the show pony that has been a thorn on my side for so long? How could I not?” Aster said, low and soft as they parted, gazing into each other’s eyes and Bunny could _swear_ he had _never_ seen something more beautiful in his billions and billions of years of life.

“I really “like” you too, frostbite.” Said Bunny, chuckling at the plain simplicity of the word “like” that they had settled on using when it came nowhere near to describing everything that he actually felt for the other.

“Good, as you should.” Jack felt relief washing over him, sniffling and laughing at the way his lips tingled so strangely from having just received a kiss that he thought would only remain a product of his imagination.

He wanted more.

He was the next to move, locking their lips together once again and kiss turning heated when Jack slipped his tongue into Bunny’s mouth carefully. Aster’s hands traveled down to Jack’s hips in response and nestled himself between his legs, grabbing them to wrap them around his waist.

Aster’s attention then moved down to Jack’s neck, kissing over the bruises and licking over the old wounds that littered the otherwise flawless skin.

“Hn-hah- Bunny…” Jack whimpered, shutting his eyes and feeling overwhelmed with such intimate gestures.

He just now realizes that, even after all the months he spent getting intimate with his former suitor, he never once experienced such mellow tokens of affection like the kisses that Aster was prepping all over him, overwhelming his senses and his head.

“I’m never letting this happen again ya hear me? Never letting you go.” Bunny promised against skin, and unlike with Punxsutawney’s possessiveness, Jack felt like his dominating words were the most welcomed thing in the world.

Soft paws then slithered under the fabric of his hoodie, going up to stroke the pink nub that felt too cold against the contrast of his warm fingers, making Jack twitch at the feeling. Slender legs wrapped tighter around Aster, bringing their bodies closer together and creating a friction between them that was too sultry to ignore.

Aster thought for a moment that, perhaps, they shouldn’t be doing this. Not this soon and especially not while they were a little under the influence, but fuck he couldn’t stop himself from finding a rhythm while he kissed and licked at Jack’s skin, humping between open legs that were inviting him in.

A humping rabbit, how fitting. Aster hadn’t been humping against anything in an eon, aside from his many ruts spent by himself cooped up in his warren, nothing had made him lose his cool like Jack could in this very moment and he felt almost embarrassed at the thought that a few kisses from him could break him like this.

Soon, between the grinding and Jack’s moans, Aster could feel his cock unsheathing and there was nothing he could do but hope that Jack would be okay with it.

And fuck if Jack was _okay_ with it.

He was more than okay he was- He couldn’t take his eyes off of it. When he inevitable felt something hard and _big_ poking against him he knew it would be Aster’s _friend_ but he never expected him to be this…intimidating.

He wasn’t surprised at the way his cock seemed to appear out of nowhere, being somewhat similar to the Groundhogs anatomy, but the _size_ was nothing he had ever encountered before.

Punxsutawney had to be delusional if he thought he could even compare to Aster’s virility.

Jack couldn’t keep his hands to himself any longer as cold fingers wrapped around the searing hot shaft and _squeezed_ , prompting an animalistic growl to bubble from the depths of Aster’s chest.

He wanted to get fucked so bad, he wanted Aster to fill him and warm him up from the inside, he wanted his cock forever engraved into his body, he wanted him to claim and cleanse every inch of him Punxsutawney had sullied. Jack began lowering his worn pants to give him enough access but stopped when Bunny took a hold of his wrists, keeping his hands from doing anything else.

“I’m not- We’re not gonna do nothing more okay snowdrop? Doin’ it on North’s balcony is not exactly my idea of an ideal first time, and ya deserve better than this.” Aster mumbled, ears dropping flat against his head as he let out a groan from deep within his chest, voice hoarse with hindered lust.

And Jack felt like crying again, breaking down completely at the way Aster was treating him. As if fucking him was something special that couldn’t just happen anywhere on their first time. The contrast between his former lover and Aster slapped him in the face right then.

Punxsutawney couldn’t wait to invade Jack’s body in the first opportunity he got and after the first time, that’s all Jack was, a hole to fuck whenever he wanted, however he wanted, and he had gotten so used to it; So used to being disregarded to the point that Aster’s restraint and decorum felt so foreign and yet, like a breath of fresh air he didn’t know he needed so much.

“But you want to, don’t you?”

“Of course I want to snowdrop. But it wouldn’t be fair to you if I just did it like this.” Aster said, rubbing Jack’s face sweetly with a thumb as he tried to explain why they couldn’t just go ahead and defile North’s balcony. Jack wouldn’t mind, if it was Aster he didn’t even have to ask for permission to fuck him.

“Fine” Jack said, accepting Bunny’s wishes of not fucking his brains out for now and getting off the rail. Aster thought for a second that Jack was about to walk off when he got on his knees to be face-to-face with his dripping cock.

“Hey! What are ya doing?!” Aster gently tried to pull Jack away from his dick that was now dangerously close to his lips, but it only caused him to hold onto one of his legs like a child to keep himself in place.

“But we can do this right?” Jack tempted him, staring up at Bunny with innocent eyes while kneeling right under his cock. Aster noticed with a twitch that it was way bigger than Jack’s head and the sight alone made him feel dizzy.

“Come on Bun Bun let me help you with this yeah?” 

“Goddammit Jack, I’m trying to do things right with ya and yer not making it easy.” Aster groaned, gripping the railing with the force of his frustration. If he didn’t know that Jack was an elemental spirit he could’ve swear he was an incubus or a nymph with how he was acting right now.

“So stop trying.” Jack breathed out, warm air grazing the skin of Asters dick as he licked a long stripe all the way up his length, reaching the tip and wrapping his mouth around it. He slowly slid his mouth down the huge member and once he was almost halfway, began a rhythm of taking Aster in as far as he could, concentrating on controlling his gag reflex.

Aster closed his eyes to focus on the feeling of Jack’s cold lips being replaced with the searing hotness of his mouth over and over again. It was no use trying to restrain himself with Jack acting like a doe in heat and when he wasn’t 100% in control of his actions what with the inhuman amounts of vodka that North had coaxed them into drinking in the name of having a good time.

A paw snatched a handful of snow white hair, taking full control of Jack’s movements in a rhythm that quickly became too brutal to handle. Jack’s eyes began to water with the intensity that he was being choked with, his flushed face turning that lavender shade that Bunny now realized he liked on him so much. Jack’s moans and whines vibrated through his flesh and a river of drool dripped down his chin due to the rough fucking his mouth was getting.

It was fucking sinful. No one but himself should have the honor of looking at Jack Frost this debauched.

He was so close.

In a moment of coherence Aster stopped his thrusts to look down and realize that he was _really_ throat fucking Jack. Bunny’s heart was stabbed with a pang of guilt at the sight of tears running down his pretty face and so he slowly pulled Jack away from his cock. Several strings of slimy saliva still connected Jack to his cock; the heavy panting of the other told him that he must have been suffocating.

Aster leaned down to lovingly wipe away the overwhelmed tears in his face “Sorry snowdrop, I was about to-“ Jack was on his dick again like a blood-sucking leech the very second Aster let go of his hair, like a scrap of metal being drawn to a magnet. 

Jack held onto Bunny’s hips and slid down one last time to almost completely engulf his cock and stayed there, feeling his throat full and fixating on his breathing to last as much as possible. The embracing burning warmth of Jack’s velvety throat was all it took for Aster to give up to the feeling and climaxed; ripping a short “Mh!” from Jack when he felt the rushing flow of cum filling his mouth, doing his best to swallow as much as possible, trying not to waste a drop but still missing a few as they dripped onto the ground.

Aster’s ragged breathing and the whistling of the wind were the only sounds filling the aftermath of the moment. Bunny stared at Jack’s kneeling form with wide eyes as he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

 _He…was not expecting him to do something like that._ Aster did not want to think about where, or more like _whom_ , had taught Jack to do such a thing because he had a pretty good idea.

“So…did I do good?” He asked, voice hoarse and rough with the abuse that his throat had just received and smiled up at him in a sincere question filled with insecurity. Aster’s cock twitched in response, not even close to going down in the slightest.

“Ya did amazing snowdrop” Aster returned a gentle smile and reached to longingly rub at Jack’s swollen lower lip.

They held each other’s gaze for a few seconds until the doors that led to the balcony slammed open, a voice breaking the tender moment and making them both jump in surprise.

“JACK! BUNNY! There you are! Been wondering where you left!” Aster twisted his body away from view and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration at the situation he was suddenly in. North had apparently woken up and went looking for them, and despite the scare, Bunny’s dick was still out and about for everyone to see.

“Jack, my boy what are you doing on floor?” North’s drunken eyes went to Jack still kneeling in front of Aster, rubbing his bear in confusion.

“I-I was just uh…tying my shoelaces?” Bunny mouthed a “seriously?” at Jack’s senseless response but fortunately, North didn’t appear to have any problem with it as he turned back inside. “Ah okay! Well when you’re done come back inside and let’s drink more before Tooth leaves in a bit! I told her to stay but she’s too worried about fairies.” North shook his head, mumbling about his friends worrying too much about work.

“Sounds good!” Jack gave a quick nod of his head and got up, brushing his knees free of any dust that could’ve stuck to them.

“You are coming Bunny?” North then asked him, ironically noticing his lack of a response. “Mhm. Sure thing. Be right there.” Bunny nodded, his tense ears barely bouncing with the moment, he then looked over his shoulder to shoot him an “I just need to grab some fresh air.”

“Da okay, don’t take too long!” North pointed a finger at him and finally left.

Jack broke out in laughter as soon as the doors closed, grabbing Bunny by the shoulder and shaking him with his amusement.

“Yeah Bunny, don’t take too long~” Jack teased, tapping a cold finger on the head of Bunny’s cock, making him shiver. Jack laughed even harder when Bunny glowered at him and headed for the door, leaving him on his own in the cold with his hard dick laughing at him.

Aster would’ve found the fact that, Jack was still Jack even when their relationship had taken such a turn, amusing if he wasn’t’ in such a spot.

Bunny contemplated his life while he waited, asking himself if he was ready to put up with Jack doing this every time they were around his friends and decided that yeah, it was fucking worth it.

After what felt like hours, his cock finally slid back into the modesty of his body and Aster hopped back inside.

The others were back awake and continuing with their drinking. Bunny couldn’t believe how normal Jack was acting as if he hadn’t just been deep throating him an hour ago. He rejoined his friends with a sigh and the rest of the night went on smoothly.

“It was fun you guys, see you all next month! North, good luck with Christmas.” Tooth fluttered up to hug the huge man and smiled at the others. When Bunny met her eye, she gave him a cheeky thumbs up and Aster lowered at her stunned, not sure how much she knew exactly but deciding to leave it at that.

Not long after, Sandy left as well, missing the thrill of playing with his sand through the night sky to stay any longer. He waved a silent goodbye to the rest, floating up into the air and soon reaching the clouds, getting lost in them.

  


“You need to stop fighting so much yes!?” North downed a shot of vodka like it was water and glared down at the other two sitting in the couch across from him. “You are guardians! You are friends! One day you will fight so badly you will hate each other for the rest of eternity.” North argued with a concerned tone to his voice, remembering how his two friends had fought last time and concluded that this was a good time as any to “scold” them.

Jack glanced at Bunny with an amused grin on his face “Nah we don’t fight that much mate.” Bunny replied, ruffling Jack’s hair and messing it up. North lifted a bushy eyebrow at the scene “you are acting strange.” He said suspiciously, eyes darting side to side between the two.

“Gee fine North, we’ll try to get along from now on.” Jack retorted casually, trying to give closure to the conversation and locking arms with Bunny in an exaggerated gesture of cooperation.

“That’s better.” North gulped another shot and nodded in contentment.

  


A couple hours later, two Yetis came into the room to get North, grumbling in a language that only he could understand in what they assumed were pleads for him to go to bed. They couldn’t afford Santa Claus to be too tired for the already taxing journey he had to go on in less than a week.

After some convincing, only Jack and Bunny remained, the crackling of the rustic fireplace setting them into a comfortable silence.

Bunny’s brain felt more buzzed than before and laid down, resting on the couch and closing his eyes peacefully. Jack looked at him in interest, the sight of Bunny being this relaxed was a rarity but he welcomed it, smiling as he crawled to straddle him.

“Hey Bunny, we should fuck.” Jack leered at him, seeing how now they had the cozy living room to themselves as a perfect opportunity. Maybe the romantic setting would be enough to make Bunny forget that they were still in North’s workshop and just go for it.

Bunny cracked an eye open and smiled at Jack’s impish behavior, noticing that it just increased with alcohol and made a mental note to not let Jack drink ever again.

“Can’t ya behave for 5 minutes? C’mere.”

Eh, nice try Jack.

Bunny pulls Jack forward to lay him on his wide chest, holding him there like a baby.

_How tender._

Well…this wasn’t fucking but this was definitely new.

How was Jack supposed to react to this kind of treatment? Staying quiet was all he could do, feeling Bunny’s chest steadily rising and falling with the serene tempo of his breathing.

He began fidgeting with the fur on Bunny’s chest, unsure of what to do with his hands. Should he say something? Just enjoying each other’s company wasn’t exactly something he used to do with Punxsutawney; it made him feel so warm and so strange at the same time.

Jack stilled his thoughts when he felt a brushing pressure on the top of his head and looked up to find Bunny twitching his nose as he seemed to be interested in Jack’s hair. Jack giggled at the image, thinking that it looked incredibly cute on someone as tough as Bunny and brought a hand up to lay it on the spot that he was tending to.

“What are you doing Roo?” Jack flinched slightly at the way Aster’s whiskers tickled his face.

Jack’s soft giggles brought Bunny out of his chinning trance, noticing how his indigo eyes were now on him.

“Huh? Nuthin mate”

“Aww come on, you were doing something like…” Jack scrunches up his nose and wiggles it, imitating Bunny’s habit and making him scoff.

Aster would’ve fallen back if he wasn’t already laying down at the way Jack was twitching his nose like a baby kit. It really was unfair how adorable he was.

“I do not look like that.”

“You kinda do” Jack chuckled, lying his head back down on Aster and dropping the question _. Just rabbit things_ he guessed.

A few moments of silence stretched on for a bit until Bunny spoke up again.

“I was just scentin’ ya”

“Wha-“ Jack stared up at him once more at the sound of his voice but shut up right away when Aster muttered his next words, as if not wanting the walls to hear.

“So you smell like mine.” He finished, and for the first time, he met Jack’s eyes without a sign of worry in his features.

_Like his._

Jack thought back, trying to remember if Punxsutawney ever tried to mark him in any such way. Sure, he made a point of leaving painful marks all over his body, but despite his relentless possessiveness he not once made any efforts to mark Jack in such an intimate way. He had to hide his wounds from the world to see, but Bunny’s marking was something that he could proudly wear without shame or worry.

  


Jack’s shaken face said it all.

Of course.

Aster knew that something like that wouldn’t be welcomed so soon, ironically given to what they had done earlier. Scent marking was no joke, however, and although maybe Jack didn’t understand the full extent of what it meant, being told that you’re “someone’s” without even asking first would be considered rude by both Pookan and human standards.

“Sorry. I guess that’s a bit weird for you isn’t i-“

Aster was cut off as Jack rubbed his face against his in a clumsy attempt to mark him back, clearly having no idea what he was doing. Bunny wouldn’t tell him now about his lack of scent glands and how returning the gesture was basically useless, because seeing him just trying was making him want to drag Jack into the depths of his warren and keep him there.

Not that he would do that. Of course not.

“There, all mine.” Jack smiled abashed, hoping that what he had done was anywhere near close to what Bunny’s kind used to accustom.

Aster blinked once and shook his head fondly “Great, now we’re stuck with each other huh mate?” Jack smiled back at him and shrugged “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

And it was true.

It was as if their meeting was destined to be. As if Jack’s death and the demise of Bunny’s near extinct race was all part of _a_ plan. As if Jack’s transformation into the role of the Guardian of Joy and Pitch’s return was all but another step to bringing them closer together.

Maybe the moon had planned it, maybe _he_ was to blame.

Well, it didn’t really matter. Jack wouldn’t question why they fit so perfectly together despite each being pieces of two completely different puzzles because for the first time in a while, things felt like they were exactly where they should be.

  


____________

It had been 3 months since that night. Bunny couldn’t thank the moon enough for the way things had turned out with Jack.

The strokes of his brush were sure and loving; his eggs carrying a glee with them that surpassed the usual and Bunny knew it was because of Jack.

For the first time in centuries, Bunny was not alone on Easter. The two of them painted away the eggs that would soon bring Hope into the lives of children and welcome the new beginning of spring.

“Ya gotta hold the brush like this snowdrop, see?” Aster instructed him, seeing how he was struggling and fixing Jack’s grip on the brush, moving his hand along to paint a straight line on an egg.

Jack wiggled in Aster’s lap, trying to get comfortable but refusing to get off as he painted the rest of the egg the way Bunny had told him to.

“I gotta give it to you Bunny, I didn’t think painting eggs would be this hard.” Jack stuck his tongue out, trying his best to paint a little flower on the center, his shaky pulse illustrating the wiggly petals.

Jack huffed once he was done, a bit frustrated at how funny-looking his egg was. The googie kicked his small legs and Jack put him down so he could go dry with the rest.

He was an expert at creating things with his snow but paint was a whole different thing.

“You don’t have to paint them perfectly luv, that’s just how I do it.” Aster said without looking up from his work and smirked, seeing how frustrated Jack was growing.

It seemed like such a small thing but Jack felt his heart flutter at Bunny letting him ruin a couple dozen eggs. Knowing how much of a perfectionist Aster was, he felt special at the thought that he had the patience of putting up with him painting his eggs with the artistic skill of a child.

And soon, in-between jokes and games, the last egg was finished.

Jack got up and stretched with a groan, kissing Bunny goodbye and wishing him luck with the egg hunting that was about to take place for the next 24 hours.

The colorful eggs all marched out of the warren from each tunnel leading to all seven continents and Bunny sighed in satisfaction. Once they were all gone to their rightful destinations, he reached behind himself to grab an egg from his bandoleer.

This one didn’t seem to be alive like the ones that were meant for the kids but it was just as colorful. Aster gave a nefarious grin to himself and hopped towards one of the tunnels that led to the surface.

It had been a while since Aster had hid any eggs himself, what with his googies being able to hide themselves no problem, but THIS was a special occasion.

He stood in front of the burrow hole that he knew belonged to Punxsutawney. Unlike his warren, it lacked any form of sophisticated security system and so, Aster easily dropped 3 smoke bomb eggs down the burrow and to its hibernating occupant.

He ran, knowing that the harmless but huge cloud of smoke dye that would soon erupt was sure to stain anything near it.

If he couldn’t teach him a lesson with his fists then he would do it with a rainbow of egg dye that would stick to his fur for the next 7 months no matter what he did. Aster thought it was perfect. If Jack had to put up with a body littered with bruises then he would have to show himself to Mother Nature looking like a box of crayons.

Bunny wasn’t the type to play pranks on others, but dating Jack Frost could change you in many ways, and Aster was never one to refuse change.


End file.
